Years at Prep: First year teaching, 16th year as a coach

Longtime football assistant coach Bob Cassano joins the Gonzaga Prep faculty in the mathematics department where he teaches Honors Algebra II and Financial Literacy.

The retired Spokane Valley firefighter is elated to be working a job he hoped to someday have when he was a kid: Math teacher and football coach. Seeing student athletes on the playing field and in the classroom, he finds it amazing to witness the maturity young people gain through their time at Prep. They enter as kids and leave as young adults ready for the next stage in life.

He says he's always working to see that the needs of his students are being met in an atmosphere of honesty, integrity, and respect. Cultivating those qualities are part of why he loves Gonzaga Prep. "Prep raises the bar and improves the whole person -- mind, body, and spirit."

If you see him in the halls or on the sidelines and ask him, he'll tell you one of the great moments in his life is a Gonzaga Prep memory: Hugging his wife at the Tacoma Dome in December 2105 just after the Bullpups had won the 4A State Football Championship.

Fast facts

Hobbies: Fly fishing on a lake or drawing football plays while relaxing on my deck.

Favorite food(s): BBQ Brisket

Job perk: Working with fellow coach and teacher H.T. Higgins on a daily basis

Dream vacation: Fly fishing for bonefish and tarpon in the Bahamas